Abraham's bosom
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Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22,23) refers to the custom of reclining on couches at the dining table, which was prevalent among the Jews, an arrangement which brought the head of one person almost into the bosom of the one who sat or reclined above him.
To "be in Abraham's bosom" thus meant to enjoy happiness and rest (Matthew 8:11; Luke 16:23) at the banquet in Paradise. Abraham's bosom is said to be the waiting place for those who "lived by faith" in Yahweh, but died before the coming of Christ; sometime during the three days between the Crucifixion of Christ and His Resurrection, Jesus descended into the realm of the dead and retrieved those in Abraham's bosom.
Abraham's Bosom is a figurative phrase for the presence of God, paradise (Basic Theology<i> Charles C. Ryrie). It is believed by some to be a former comfortable section of "hades", that neighbored Hell (the place of torment) before Christ resurrection. Others believe the Lucian parable to be mythical and not based on the realities of the time of Jesus words. (Luke 16:22-23; 23:43).
This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.Template:Christianity-stub